The Japan International Cooperation Agency Bangladesh Office, in collaboration with the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) under the Ministry of Agriculture, organized a Result Sharing and Review Workshop at the BARC Auditorium in Farmgate, Dhaka, marking the successful completion of the second-cycle activities of the Bangla-SHEP Project, a press release said.
The workshop brought together officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), representatives from implementing organizations, financial institutions, private sector companies, NGOs, donor-funded projects, extension officers, supervisors, and participating farmers. The event was graced by Junko Takahashi, Chief Representative, JICA Bangladesh Office, as Guest of Honor.
The event was attended by Dr. Md. Abdus Salam, Executive Chairman, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC); Shahin Akhter, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture; Md. Abdus Sattar, Director, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE); Sayeduzzaman, Director, Agriculture Credit Department, Bangladesh Bank; Humayoun Kabir, Project Director, Bangla SHEP; Masahiro Kawamura, Team Leader, Bangla SHEP; and Ataus Sopan Malik, Managing Director, A R Malik Seeds.
The project, formally titled the “Market-Oriented Agriculture Promotion Project for Smallholder Horticulture Farmers through Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (Bangla-SHEP),” is a JICA-funded Technical Cooperation Project aimed at promoting market-oriented agriculture among smallholder horticulture farmers through multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Bangla-SHEP introduced the internationally recognized SHEP (Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment & Promotion) approach, encouraging farmers to shift from the traditional “produce and sell” practice to a market-oriented “grow to sell” approach based on market demand and buyer engagement.
Through the project, participating farmers recorded a 24 percent increase in average horticultural income. More than 2,814 smallholder farmers, including a significant number of women participants, were engaged under the initiative, while over 112 farmer groups practicing market-oriented agriculture were formed. The project also contributed to women’s empowerment by increasing women’s participation in farming and market activities, strengthening their role in household financial decision-making, and improving access to income and savings opportunities.
Speaking at the event, Junko Takahashi, Chief Representative of JICA Bangladesh Office, said, “Bangla-SHEP has demonstrated that empowering farmers with market knowledge and confidence can significantly improve their livelihoods. This project is not only about increasing income—it is about transforming mindsets and creating sustainable opportunities for rural communities.”
Building on the project’s success, JICA reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Bangladesh in expanding the SHEP approach at scale. Future priorities center on embedding SHEP principles into national agricultural and extension policies, rolling out the methodology through government-led farming programs, deepening public-private partnerships, and broadening farmers’ access to finance and markets. Together, these steps are designed to institutionalize market-oriented agriculture as a cornerstone of Bangladesh’s rural development strategy.
The successful completion of the Bangla-SHEP Project marks an important milestone in Bangladesh–Japan cooperation in the agriculture sector and establishes a strong foundation for sustainable rural development and inclusive economic growth in Bangladesh.
